The designation, announced by First Lady Michelle Obama, came through the federal Preserve America program, which encourages preservation of the nation’s cultural and natural heritage.
The city’s successful application highlighted the Woodstock Opera House, which includes the stage where Welles presented the 1934 Todd Summer Theatre Festival with Roger Hill. It doubled as a hotel in the Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day.
Benefits from the designation, according to the Preserve America website, include White House recognition; inclusion on a Web-based Preserve America Community directory; eligibility for Preserve America grants; authorization to use the program’s logo on signs, flags, banners and other promotional materials; among others.
The federal program is administered by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation with the Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the White House and 10 other federal agencies.
Woodstock will host a May 6-9, 2015 celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Welles’ birth. The event is organized by the non-profit Woodstock Celebrates Inc.
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